It is obvious that words will no longer suffice, not even statistics, because those who have an “adult” recollection of the Church, its liturgies, its devotions, its unity prior to the MASSIVE changes in the late 60’s are now in their 60’s or older. That will exclude most priests and many, many bishops. The Churches nationwide had mostly two priests, plus an extra on Sundays. Most Churches anywhere near an average-size city were offering five Masses on Sunday with people
crammed into the pews and lining the walls and the back.
These are some old statistics, too depressing for me to attempt to search for new sources: I do not remember what the U.S. population was in 1960-1965, but it was below 150 million in the 1940’s, which means these should be adjusted for the population increases, which make the number even much worse:
U.S. Converts 1960 = 140,000 — 1995 = 75-80,000
Weekly Mass attend 1963 = 71% — 1993 = 22%
of priests 1965 = 57,000 — 1995 = 49,000
of Brothers 1965 = 12,000 — 1995 = 6,000
of Nuns 1965 = 180,000 — 1995 = 100,000
Cath Elem. Schl Stus 1965 = 4,200,000 — 1995 = 1, 8000,000
Priests Worldwide 44,000 fewer in 1995 per L’Osservatore Romano
Have seen varying statistics regarding belief in the Real Presence which generally seems to have dropped from 85-95% to below 20%
Many statistics now collected count Catholics going to Mass if they go 5 or 6 time
per year.
Apostacy seems to flow out of many episcopates and many, many parishes. A very large percentage of Catholic schools and the clases for converts promotes heresy outright. I have a granddaughter who just finished her junior year in a Catholic College and their REQUIRED textbook in a REQUIRED religion class teaches openly and clearly Marxism and Liberation Theology. They even call it by its true name. Places like Georgetown and Notre Dame and many others should not be allowed to call themselves Catholic.
Unlike some of the posts suggested above, the priests did not choose to read the Epistle, Gospel, and a sermon in the vernacular on Sundays. It was an ABSOLUTE requirement. They were not read in the vernacular on regular weekdays. Excellent Missals were available, both daily (full year and Sundays/Holy Days) and Sundays/Holy Days only which provided Catholics throughout the world the Latin and their native language. They could go to Mass anywhere and follow the Mass, because deviations were not allowed. People of all languages sat beside one another, not separated into 35 groups as in my diocese. Of course, there were and always will be some who break the rules, but pre-1965 the breakage was very minor and most bishops would correct the variations sternly. Even the sermons given were primarily required (subject matter) by instructions from the bishop.
The movements to effect these changes did not start in the 60’s; they were very active in the nineteenth century, but were held in check by popes like Saint Pius X, Leo XIII, and Pius XII. They used regularly their authority and responsibility with the declaration,
anathema sit. After that the innovators and modernists were turned loose to give us the chaos we have today.
Prayer to ask God to re-unify the many dissident elements and innovators back into a reasonable assemblance of One is the best and final call, because appeal to the laity is lost on those who have not experienced it (under approx 60 years).
God bless us all and keep us.
